Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-01-07
a MAN WHO WAS SCALPED.
lie Says the Operation Caused Him
Considerable Pain-A Narrow Es-
cape from Death.

cape from Death.
Ii has often been said that man can
not live after being scalped, writes Il
Fort Keogh correspondent of The san
Francisco Chronicic. One of the Crow
Indian scouts with Custer before that
brave officer met his fate was caught
b. party of Sioux alone on the prairie
and scalpcd alive. His enemies cut 4
pear-shapcd piece cut of the crown of
his head and left him writing in
agony. supposing he would of co urse
die Notwithstanding all which the
rcdskin recovered, and at last accounts
was living with his people on the Crow
reservation and doing well. There Is
an olI hunter IN western Montana
whose cabin is located on the eastern
slope of the Rocky mountains, who had
his hair raised some years ago by
band of savageS. and yet he lives and
thrives i'm most astonishing good health.
The old fellows name is GanZio, and
bv reason of his advanced years would,
in the natural course of events, having
white hair now. only that he has no
hair at all 10 speak OF. still, what lit
tie he has got, Is whitened or gray, the
rest of his head, where the hair ought
TO grow being - bald as billiard
ball. TO be exact, GanZio did not loose
his entire scalp. but only a portion OF il.
The probabilities are that he could not
have survived with the loss of the whole
top of his head Some few years ago,
when Sitting Bull was master of this
country, Ganzio was the guide of an
emigrant party en- route to Fort Lara
mic, Wyoming territory.
The story of that expedition is an eX-
cecdingly interesting one. and as relat-
ed by himself runs As follows: Zone
day we were coming into the valley Of
Hut creek. on our way TO Fort Laramie.
when we thought we saw Indians COM
ing down the creek TO the right. In
stead of camping there, we thought Il
,afer TO water our stock and 90 on TO
the hills and make dry camp IN the
bushes | had been sent on ahead up
The hill to reconnoiter, and took with
me boy named Kountzc. from Oma-
ma, merely for company. We sat down
to wait for the wagons, which were
slowly coming mp out OF the valley.
When the wagons reached Us ! started
on alone through the rocks and pine
bushes TO seek good camp. \ few
hundred yards further on | looked
down a rayine TO the right and saw five
mounted Indians ride across the valley.
started 10 20 back to the train, when
1t least a dozen Indians ran at me out
If the brush. and YOU bet ! ran aud
called for hepl. In a minute more two
or three of them shot ~ me. felt =
sharp. singing pain in my right Leg.
and another in my left shoulder, and
fell. Then they were upon me in a
minute. and one of them put his knee
on my back. while another hit me 4
rlip with club. Another struck me
with the butt OF n gun, and then be-
came partly unconscious. Still ! had
reason and feeling enough left 10 know
that was being scalpcd; for the hair
held so tightly and the pain was so
awful that | could not die then even if
| wanted 10. felt hot, sting pain
all around the top Of my head
hair being torn out by the roots. SO 10
speak and it was too much died
or at least | thought | did; but rs it
happened my scalp or part of IT, was
saved just as it was being torn of The
boys at the wagon had seen me run
ming: saw the Indians and came a. run
thirteen of them, arriving just in timo
to prevent the red devils finishing thcIr
work. The Indians, rs we'll rs my
friends, thought was dead, but came
to again, and what was left of my scalp
was laid back in place. 1t was only
half torn off YOU see, and the place is
pretty well healed now.
What did YOU do with yourself ar
.erward?' inquired.
"Why, | hurried into Fort Laramie,
got the attention of physician, and
went back to the states for while; but
the western fever came strong upon
me again and | had TO return 10 the
mountains, where | have been ever
since.